Changing Lanes(2002)

Samuel L. Jackson is Gibson. He is a businessman with a wife and two kids living in New York. Ben Affleck is Gavin. He is a wealthy lawyer working in a law firm. A rich man was a client of this law firm, and on his deathbed, Affleck convinced him to sign a Power of Appointment document (IMPORTANT) to have this firm control his money and not let his granddaughter mess with it. The inheritance is $100 million. This money is to be used to finance a music foundation.

The movie starts with Affleck going to the courthouse. He has to provide the Power of Appointment papers and some other papers to verify the firm as the new owner of the $100 million. Jackson has just got a really big loan to buy a house, and he has to convince the kids and wife to take him back and stay in New York. On the way to their respective courtrooms, they hit each other and crashed.

Through the shuffle of insurance papers, the IMPORTANT Power of Appointment paper accidentally gets into Jackson’s hands.

Affleck drives off immediately, and Jackson is left without a ride. Jackson gets to the courtroom 20 minutes late, and the judge has already started the case and awarded full custody to Jackson’s wife. The thing is, Jackson never gets a chance to tell the judge and his wife that he has a house for them to stay at. In Affleck’s case, he has all the papers except the Power of Appointment document. The judge says Affleck has until the end of the day to retrieve it.

Affleck finds Jackson, but he will not give him back the papers. Next, Affleck goes to a friend who has connections and hacks the system, destroying Jackson’s credit so he can’t get a loan for the house. The thing is, Jackson has already told his wife of the house, and the wife has agreed to stay if he gets the house. In return, Jackson makes threats to destroy the papers. Jackson tells Affleck to meet him in the courtroom in 1 hr to give him back the Power of Appointment if he gets his credit back. After 30 minutes, Jackson checks his credit, and it’s still not there. So he sabotages Affleck’s Benz and unscrews the wheels. On the highway to go to the courtroom, Affleck crashes and almost dies. He walks out. He goes to the school where Jackson’s son attends and tells the teacher that Jackson is coming and is a lunatic. Then he calls Jackson from a payphone, pretends he is a school principal, and tells him that one of his kids is hurt. Enraged, Jackson storms into the school. Since the teacher assumes Jackson is a lunatic, he has him arrested.

The day is late, and the courts are closed. We learn, however, that the firm’s owner (also Affleck’s father-in-law) had taken a sheet from the will that had the rich guy’s signature on it and attached it to a photocopied Power of Appointment and submitted it before the day was done. Affleck still feels horrible because he knows the owner will steal 1.5 million from the fund. Affleck’s wife (also the owner’s daughter, obviously) calls Affleck and tells him they need to talk. Since Affleck is cheating, we think she is going to break it up and make a giant speech about honesty. Out of nowhere, she tells Affleck to accept the fraudulent letter and not inform the courts of the fraud. Affleck’s conscience is telling him to reveal the fraudulent Power of Appointment. The day is over.

Affleck and Jackson meet in a building. Affleck’s life has been turned around by this corruption, Jackson’s wife is enraged (from the school incidence) and will leave to Oregon where she threatens that with sole custody, Jackson will never see his kids again. Affleck is rich and gets Jackson that loan. Jackson gives Affleck the Power of Appointment, which isn’t needed anymore. However, if Affleck gives the real Power of Appointment to the judge, the owners will get busted for submitting the fake one. (there can’t be 2, right?) Affleck also has 5 minutes with Jackson’s wife and smooths out everything between Jackson and her. Affleck plans to use the Power of Appointment document to keep his boss in check. Jackson’s wife finally accepts him, and they get together again.